Estate planning benefits you and your family in the event something happens to you. If you plan ahead for the future, you will have peace of mind now and your family will be taken care of. But what are some other benefits of estate planning?

1) You can plan for your mental or physical incapacity.

Estate planning is more than just saying who gets your estate when you die. You can also make arrangements ahead of time in the event you are incapacitated in any way.

2) Arrange for charitable donations.

If you would prefer to arrange your affairs to benefit your favorite charity when you die than those arrangements can be written into your estate planning to ensure your wishes are carried out.

3) Make business arrangements.

If you are a business owner, estate planning is especially important to help carry out your business wishes and protect your interests.

These are merely a few of the reasons why it is important to plan your estate. Contact an estate planning lawyer to discuss your options soon. Don’t disrupt your peace of mind by hesitating to arrange your affairs now. For more information and to talk to an estate planning lawyer in Lumberton area visit this website.

If you’ve been charged with a criminal offense, you need to hire a lawyer with the right skills for the job. Effective communication, critical thinking, organization and impartial judgement are all things to look for in a criminal defense attorney.If you’ve had a run-in with the law, you may be in need of a criminal defense attorney. In order to ensure a fair trial sentencing, select a lawyer with experience and knowledge. There are also several other skills that can prove vital to an attorney’s ability to adequately handle your case. Here are a few of the things to look for when hiring a representative.When dealing with the intricacies of the law, organization is a must. There are always many rules and clauses that can affect the outcome of your case, making it vital to have an attorney who can keep track of all the details during the proceedings. You can have multiple hearings to attend as well and having a lawyer with an organized schedule ensures that you won’t have to deal with missed appointments and forgotten deadlines.Having rational, critical thinking skills is necessary in many areas of law, but may be the most vital in a criminal defense situation. Sudden accusations and charges can change the course of proceedings, making it necessary to quickly develop a plan of defense and determine the best way to handle a rebuttal. A fast-thinking attorney who considers all available options is your best chance at achieving the best outcome possible.When put in the position of defending someone who has committed a crime, it is important to make sure your lawyer can be an impartial defendant and seek for a legal, fair outcome. While consequences are inevitable, your attorney’s job is to ensure that you receive fair treatment from the judge. This can be done by presenting all aspects of your case, especially those that may support your defense. Whether you’ve been charged with a felony, misdemeanor, drug offense, traffic violation or DWI, your attorney will be sure that your sentencing is fair for the offense.Effective written and oral communication skills are also necessary in any legal situation, but may be even more important for a criminal defense attorney. Be sure that nothing is misunderstood or misrepresented in your case by hiring a lawyer who is a clear communicator in the courtroom as well as in written documents. Speak with your attorney before making a final decision to ensure that they are someone who communicates with clarity and effectiveness in all situations.As you hire someone to represent you during this difficult time, keep in mind these four things that will help you be confident you’ve selected at attorney who will get the best ruling for your case. Click here to find an experienced criminal defense lawyer in Killeen.

Car accidents are one of the most complex accidents in which to determine who is at fault. Although there are general rules about fault, sometimes it’s not always cut and dried. When determining fault, or negligence, the police report is a good place to start to determine who caused the accident. Even so, there may not be a citation issued by the reporting officer or even a mention of how the accident was caused. You may need to contact a lawyer to help you get the compensation for your injuries and property. State laws, or the vehicle code, can help you determine fault. However, knowing which laws apply to your case can be daunting, because the code is complex. You may have been speeding, but the other driver changed lanes inappropriately. Sometimes, fault is difficult to determine without an investigation into the full circumstances of the accident. It may take an investigator who specializes in accident reconstruction to apply fault. Rear end accidents are almost always the fault of the driver who hit the car from behind. That driver may have a claim against a person who rammed into their car, but that doesn’t affect their liability for hitting your car. If your brake lights are faulty or you stopped in the middle of the road, you may have some comparative negligence that reduces your compensation, but most likely, you won’t be at fault if the rear end of your car is damaged in a collision. Left turn accidents are also almost always the fault of the person making a left turn. Cars that are going straight typically have the right of way, but there are exceptions. One example is if you run a red light and hit a car that is making a left hand turn on a green light. The circumstances surrounding the accident will determine who is at fault. You may be feeling guilty for your part in the accident. Although this is a normal feeling, sometimes it isn’t legally true. This is why it’s good to discuss your case with an attorney who knows the law and can determine if you really do have any negligence. It’s important, because the one who is at fault in an accident is responsible for making the other person whole. A judge can offset any negligence on your part by reducing your claim, so if you do share in the negligence the other driver isn’t penalized for your part. To learn more about how fault is determined in car accidents, visit this website for a car accident attorney in Escondido.

No one wants to think about a lawsuit that involves a wrongful death, but you deserve the right to hold the negligent party responsible. Although a financial settlement won’t bring your loved one back, it can ensure that it won’t happen to someone else and see you through a difficult time as you adjust to a new life.Burden of Evidence In a criminal case, the standard of proof is that the defendant was responsible “beyond a reasonable doubt.” In a wrongful death suit, the burden is much lower, but you do need to establish negligence, which is a key element in a wrongful death case. The other important element is that there must be financial damages. Although you may not be emotionally prepared to deal with this, you don’t want to wait too long. Evidence can be destroyed or lost and witnesses forget. Your state may have a statute of limitations, too.What Damages Can Be Awarded? Financial damages in a wrongful death case won’t ever make up for the loss of your loved one. However, they do go a long way in providing for the economic loss. This is very important if the deceased is the breadwinner in a family with children. Many different items are considered when determining the amount of damages that are awarded. To learn more about what a wrongful death case entails, visit this website for a wrongful death lawyer in Escondido.

The American Bar Association Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section will honor Chicago attorney Bruce Robert Pfaff with its Pursuit of Justice Award, which recognizes lawyers and judges who have shown outstanding merit and who excel in providing access to justice for all... read more

In a statement to commemorate July 17 as International Criminal Justice Day, American Bar Association President William C. Hubbard acknowledged the global efforts, led by the International Criminal Court and the international community, to combat genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes... read more

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that vehicles kill 4,000 people and injure 70,000 in pedestrian accidents each year. To break it down, a vehicle injures one pedestrian every eight minutes and kills one every two hours. Those statistics are staggering by anyone’s standards and indicate that we probably ought to know what to do if we find ourselves as an injured pedestrian. All personal injury claims require evidence. If a vehicle hits and injures you, get the driver’s name and contact information. Be sure to get the name of his insurance company and contact information. If you are unable to secure this information because your injuries are too serious, ask someone that is standing nearby to help you. Contact the insurance company of the motorist and report the accident. You should file a claim when you first contact them. It’s a good idea to report the accident to your insurance company, as well. You will need to prove that the motorist was negligent and caused the accident. Your claim will fail if you cannot provide proof. Ask yourself questions like these: Did the driver violate his obligation to me as a pedestrian? Were the driver’s actions the direct cause of my injuries? Did other forces intervene? If yes, do they relieve either of us from fault? As you build your claim, consider the following: Witness statements are valuable to your case because they may have heard and seen things that you didn’t. Accident photos make good evidence. Any photographs that were taken by the police or bystanders will be helpful to your case. Keep the clothing that you were wearing at the time of the accident. The clothes may be able to show the force of the impact. Get your own weather report from the National Weather Service. Any medical records that tie your injuries directly to the accident will be invaluable. Try to get statements from the nurses and doctors that have given care to you. Once you have compiled as much evidence as you can, you will be ready to negotiate your claim. If your evidence is prepared properly, you should be able to show the events leading up to the accident, the time of the accident, and the time after and during your recovery. Remember, the more evidence you have, the more likely it is that you can settle for a higher amount. Pedestrians have rights, and knowledge about their rights can be helpful in the event of an accident. If you need find a car accident lawyer in Wilmington, please see this website.

Over the past ten years, advances in adolescent brain science have reaffirmed the essential concept of juvenile justice—teenagers do not think like adults or share the same level of culpability... read more